


First Light

by lamardeuse



Category: Lewis (TV)
Genre: M/M, Morning After
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-20
Updated: 2012-01-20
Packaged: 2017-10-29 20:26:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/323848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lamardeuse/pseuds/lamardeuse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No, this wasn't panic; this was reconstructing a chain of events. Simple detective work.</p>
            </blockquote>





	First Light

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Luthien](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luthien/gifts).



> For Luthien, who requested Lewis/Hathaway at dawn.
> 
> Thanks so much to yunitsa for beta and Britpicking assistance. Any remaining errors are mine.

On winter mornings, James usually woke a good hour before dawn, and this particular morning was no exception. He opened his eyes to darkness, his first thought practical – wondering how many layers he'd have to armour himself with before going on his run. He cast his mind back to last night's weather forecast, then remembered he hadn't checked it.

His second thought came as his eyes adjusted to the faint light coming from the doorway, a doorway that wasn't where he expected it to be: this wasn't his flat.

From there, it was a series of short mental hops to a third and a fourth and a fifth thought. He hadn't gone home last night and checked the weather report because he'd stayed at Lewis' flat. He'd stayed at Lewis' flat because they'd slept together. James had kissed him, and Lewis had kissed back, and then they'd taken off all their clothes and slept together.

No, this wasn't panic; this was reconstructing a chain of events. Simple detective work.

He'd wanted to kiss Lewis for a long time. That wasn't new. What had changed last night? The details were fuzzy. He supposed the reasons for kissing him had finally outweighed the reasons for not kissing him. Tipping point. Whatever the final impetus, he would never have expected Lewis to respond.

But Lewis had. James remembered the shock that was Lewis’ mouth moving tentatively against his own, lips pressing, clinging. He remembered Lewis’ hand cupping his cheek as though James were something precious, fingers warm and gentle, and James had clenched his hands at his sides to keep them from grabbing fistfuls of Lewis’ jumper and wrecking this fragile connection.

When he’d pulled back, Lewis’ eyes were wide, astonished. It occurred to James that he was probably more surprised at himself than at anything else. Lewis shook his head slowly, and James’ heart plummeted to earth.

And then Lewis broke into a smile, and James could breathe again. “Ah, lad, you’re daft,” he said, though there was nothing but affection in his tone.

James forced one of his hands to unfold and raised it to splay across Lewis’ chest, stared at it. “I’m not,” he said. He was aware he sounded like a petulant child, which wouldn’t help his case. “And before you ask, I’m sure. I won't be changing my mind.”

“I wasn’t going to ask,” Lewis murmured. James looked up. “Constant as a star, you are. And stubborn with it.” Lewis' own hand rose to cover James', and James lurched forward and kissed him again, fingers clutching, desperate in spite of himself. Lewis didn't seem to mind.

A rusty groan from behind him brought James back to the present. There was a jiggling of the mattress, and then Lewis kicked him in the calf. James winced and moved his leg out of harm's way.

“Whu – James?” A gentle hand brushed against his back, fit itself to the curve of his shoulder. “Sorry, did I –”

“'M'fine,” James managed. Lewis' hand didn't leave him, and after a moment James rolled onto his back, turned his head toward the shadowy form lying beside him. “Good morning.”

“You call this morning?” Lewis grunted. “We don’t have to be at work today, lad. Go back t’sleep.”

James' hand lifted off the mattress, then dropped. “I usually get up now,” he blurted, and it sounded pathetic even to his ears. “Go for a run.”

“Oh,” Lewis said. James' brain, still sluggish with sleep, took a couple of seconds to realise Lewis thought he was lying to him, thought he was looking for an excuse to escape. Perhaps he was. Or rather, he was looking for an excuse to escape before Lewis woke up completely, panicked and found a way to get rid of him. “Well, then, that's –”

“I suppose I can skip one morning,” James heard himself say. “It wouldn't hurt.”

Lewis went utterly still, and James held his breath. “I don't imagine it would,” he said. It was too dark to tell if he was smiling, but James thought he might be.

“But if you want me to – I mean –”

Lewis' hand moved from his shoulder, slid across his bare chest until it was cradling his ribs. “No, I don't,” Lewis said softly, and James was moving before he was aware of it, rolling toward Lewis and reaching out blindly until they were wrapped up so tightly he couldn't have said where he began and Lewis ended.

“Stay here,” Lewis whispered, fingers stroking through his hair, “where you belong,” and James screwed his eyes shut and held on, held fast, until long after the dawn light crept over the horizon, announcing a new day.


End file.
